The advances in biotechnology have skyrocketed as technology becomes more and more proficient at diagnosis, prognosis, and medical treatment. Artificial intelligence, the human genome project, and robotics have all been used to advance healthcare in recent years. Things that were once the topic of science fiction are now a reality in science.
Back in the early centuries of medical and surgical procedures, doctors once did surgeries by cutting someone open and figuring out what was wrong that way. Today, medical professionals and surgeons can utilize biotechnology to see 3D images of internal organs to make more precise cuts and surgical plans.
Modern innovations are proving that biotechnology is transforming healthcare, and this is just the beginning. Read on about progressions in science and medicine, and explore how biotechnology is changing the healthcare landscape.
Simplifying Testing
Running a testing location requires a long list of medical and laboratory supplies. While these labs offer an incredible service to their communities, not everyone has access to them. Biotechnology advances have allowed some medical tests to be done at home. Things like food sensitivity tests, HIV tests, and now some COVID-19 tests can be done from the comfort of your couch or home office.
This can benefit the most vulnerable among us who need to be shielded from potential illness. Furthermore, people who need or want a diagnosis now have the convenience of biotech home testing kits without having to take time out to physically show up for a doctor’s appointment for medical testing and treatment. This also allows patients a greater level of privacy when they want or need it.
More Accurate Diagnoses
Sometimes, it takes a while to get the right tests completed to get to a diagnosis so you can get the right treatments to start feeling better. With better technology, doctors are able to understand what’s going on in the body and get a more focused understanding of a patient’s condition.
Today, doctors can use 3D imaging of internal organs to show exactly where an injury, infection, or cancer is located in the body. Physicians can even use augmented reality to see inside the body. This allows surgeons to get more accurate about their surgical procedure – effectively facilitating less invasive surgeries and minimizing guesswork. Additionally, biotechnology enables medical professionals to visualize the progression of cancer and see what needs to happen to prepare for surgery. Advancements in imaging and testing can result in doctors prescribing the right treatments. Furthermore, medicines and long-term patient care with less doubt about the final outcomes of prognosis.
Improving Quality of Life
Biotechnology advances have allowed people to live a better quality of life. For example, prosthetic limbs look and feel more realistic, and help alleviate some of the trauma associated with the loss of a limb. Cancer treatments that are more precise and lead to fewer side effects help patients recover more comfortably. Better surgery options cause better recovery outcomes.
Effectively, biotechnology facilitates better diagnosis and improves survival rates among patients due to more accurate data and insight wrought from biotechnology. Technology is arguably one of the best advancements in the medical industry for the contributions it has made to sustaining and improving a patient’s quality of life. Ultimately, biotechnology continues to benefit millions of people around the world suffering from a myriad of health conditions.
Better Treatment Options
Part of improving quality of life is in offering better treatment options. Medicine is not one-size fits all because every situation is unique. What works great to help one person can harm another. For example, a patient suffering from lymphoma requires a different treatment than someone who has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Biotechnology allows medical professionals the ability to make better decisions around treatment and medical interventions to prevent or treat sickness and disease.
This is especially helpful for patients with rare illnesses that not all doctors have treated successfully. It’s also useful in making decisions around the best cancer treatments and in determining the extent of a major injury. Additionally, biotechnology empowers healthcare providers with detailed information about the patients’ cells to assist them in making more strategic care plans. Getting the most accurate, minute information and details with biomedical technology is truly revolutionary for medical professionals and patients alike.
Precise Surgical Options
Surgery requires a person with a steady hand and a good eye. In a surgery room, one single slight move with a scalpel could potentially lead to disaster for the patient. Furthermore, even the most skilled surgeons were prone to mistakes if their hands shook even the smallest amount. Thankfully, advances in biotechnology mean that surgeons can use guided robotics to improve precision and reduce the likelihood of a small slip causing a major problem.
Repairing or removing malignancies in the human body requires complex surgical procedures and any small error could lead to permanent injury and in some cases death. For example, a nick to the spinal cord can lead to partial or full paralysis. Cutting edge technology used in surgical procedures helps reduce accidents, injuries and reduces instances of the tiniest cut in an artery that may cause a major bleed. Many of these risks are mitigated by using surgical options that are precise to the nanometer. Additionally, smaller cuts and cuts in the right spot mean that less tissue is damaged, and the patient can heal faster. Ultimately, biotechnology has changed the landscape for patients who require surgery due to its accuracy, guidance, and assistance while in the surgical theater.
Better Continuity of Care
When transferring from one doctor to the next, it can be a nightmare getting all the health records to a new doctor. Biotechnology has created a world where those records can easily be transferred digitally in a secure way to ensure all the pertinent information gets to your new healthcare providers. Any x-rays, tests, diagnoses, allergies, and more can be right there at the fingertips of the person who needs it most. Biotechnology creates more opportunities for collaboration between medical professionals as well. This ensures that you always get the quality care you deserve.